Abnormalties in the Growth and Development of the Proximal Femur: Comparing Ancient to Modern Populations

The proximal femur is a site of much growth and development during ontogeny. While the developmental program is primarily influenced by genetics, environmental factors such as diet and exercise level impact growth. As the trend toward obesity in developed countries continues, the frequency of the proximal femoral pathology Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) increases. Modern levels of activity experienced by athletes greatly surpass those of ancient populations and may be related to the recent increase in the incidence of Cam Deformity, another proximal femoral pathology. This study compared a modern population (Hamann-Todd) with an ancient population (Libben) and analyzed differences in proximal femoral morphology and incidences of these pathologies. The results support the hypothesis that these pathologies are modern occurrences possibly influenced by the altered diets and activity levels of today.